News You Can Use

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9 fall ill at child's video game truck party near Atlanta

With RSVPs from a bunch of rambunctious boys, Brandy Sympreux thought it would be a good idea to rent a video game truck for her 8-year-old son’s birthday party.

But 90 minutes into the festivities, the unexpected happened, according to a Coweta County Fire Rescue report.

One child began to walk with a stagger.

Two more fell out.

And another pair became “slightly altered in mental status.”

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Intelligence chairman accuses Obama aides of hundreds of unmasking requests | TheHill

The chairman of the House Intelligence Committee is accusing top political aides of President Obama of making hundreds of requests during the 2016 presidential race to unmask the names of Americans in intelligence reports, including Trump transition officials.

Intelligence Chairman Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), in a letter to Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats, said the requests were made without specific justifications on why the information was needed.

“We have found evidence that current and former government officials had easy access to U.S. person information and that it is possible that they used this information to achieve partisan political purposes, including the selective, anonymous leaking of such information,” Nunes wrote in the letter to Coats.

The letter was provided to The Hill from a source in the intelligence community.

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This is in part because corporations are buying up the houses to rent them. This removes homes from the market to be purchased and allows them to ratchet up the rents year after year.

Rents Across The US Hit A New All Time High | Zero Hedge

After dropping to an all time low 62.9% in Q2 of 2016, the US homeownership rate rebounded modestly in the subsequent two quarters, then dropped again at the start of the year, before once again rising fractionally to 63.7% in Q2 of 2017 from 63.6% in the previous quarter, just 1% from the all time lows in the series history going back to the mid 1960s.

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Russia orders U.S. to cut diplomatic staff, says to seize diplomatic property

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. State Department on Thursday ordered family members of U.S. government employees at the American embassy in Caracas to leave Venezuela ahead of a weekend vote that has sparked violent protests.

The department said in a statement it also authorized the voluntary departure of U.S. government employees at the Caracas embassy.

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Conference teaches K-12 educators how to combat ‘whiteness in schools’ - The College Fix

One presentation, called “Whiteness in schools,” provided “a history of Whiteness, and will invite participants into a discussion of how Whiteness and White culture shapes what happens in schools,” according to a description.

One workshop discussed “3 ways to face white privilege in the classroom.” Presented by Teachers College postdoctoral fellow Jamila Lyiscott, a summary of the workshop states it included “activities and critical dialogue around White privilege to connect personal responsibility to pedagogical possibilities for the classroom.”

And a workshop on “Teaching for Social Justice” sought to challenge colonialist and racist pedagogies.

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Why You’re Being Invited to Fewer Weddings - Bloomberg

You’re not the only one spending fewer summer weekends watching other people get married—but don’t worry, the weddings you’re still invited to might feel a little more special these days. 

Fewer Americans are getting married, and the ones who still are have scaled back their weddings. Their nuptials are becoming smaller, though not necessarily cheaper, affairs.

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U.S. Acceptance of Polygamy at Record High, and TV Might Explain Why | National News | US News

Support for polygamy in the United States is at an all-time high, and Americans' love for TV may be one explanation for the trend.

Gallup polling on American values and beliefs in May found acceptance of a person having multiple spouses at one time has grown in the U.S., with 17 percent of people saying the practice is "morally acceptable." That number marked the highest rate on record dating back to 2003, according to Gallup data.

Pinning down the exact cause of the trend is tricky, as Gallup notes it's coincided with a general increase in liberal views on social issues like same-sex relationships and premarital sex, but hasn't come with a correspondingly permissive legal shift on the issue. Polygamy, in fact, is illegal in all 50 states.

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Lesbian mom asks Christian judge to recuse himself from divorce case | AL.com

A lesbian mother in Alabama has asked a Christian judge in DeKalb Circuit Court to recuse himself from her divorce case because of his stance against homosexuality.

Tiara Brooke Lycans, in her divorce case against husband Zachary Thomas Lycans, filed two motions earlier this year asking trial Judge Shaunathan C. Bell to recuse himself from the case. Bell declined to recuse himself both times.

Tiara Lycans then petitioned the Alabama Court of Civil Appeals, which on Thursday also denied her request for recusal.

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Facebook employee is homeless, lives out of car - Story | KTVU

She has a job at Facebook and is also homeless, living out of her car.

Parsha's nickname is "Pinky"- she has pink hair, a pink car, and even a pink dog. But she says, things aren't always as rosy as they appear. 

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Woman has abortion to later find child survived in China | Daily Mail Online

18-year-old Lili had an abortion after finding out she was pregnant
She was told that the procedure had been successful and paid the fees
Some three days later she was shocked to find the child had survived
A nurse had given it oxygen and sold the baby to her cousin 

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Revealed: US spy operation that manipulates social media | Technology | The Guardian

The US military is developing software that will let it secretly manipulate social media sites by using fake online personas to influence internet conversations and spread pro-American propaganda.

A Californian corporation has been awarded a contract with United States Central Command (Centcom), which oversees US armed operations in the Middle East and Central Asia, to develop what is described as an "online persona management service" that will allow one US serviceman or woman to control up to 10 separate identities based all over the world.

The project has been likened by web experts to China's attempts to control and restrict free speech on the internet. Critics are likely to complain that it will allow the US military to create a false consensus in online conversations, crowd out unwelcome opinions and smother commentaries or reports that do not correspond with its own objectives.

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Psychologists say more and more young people are entitled | indy100

Research has discovered that large amounts of young people are developing an entitlement complex.

The psychological trend comes from the belief that you are superior to others and are more deserving of certain things.

This form of narcissism has some significant consequences such as disappointment and a tendency to lash out.

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Sick rise of child sex dolls being sold online is letting cops catch previously unknown paedos lurking in Britain

THE sick rise of child sex dolls being sold online has been revealed as cops say they have been led to the doors of previously unknown paedos lurking in Britain.

Grotesque sex aids are being flogged for £1,000 and smuggled into the country for sick paedos to carry out their vile fantasies.

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Your Banker Is Always In: Sweden Rolls Out the Robots - Bloomberg

Aida is the perfect employee: always courteous, always learning and, as she says, “always at work, 24/7, 365 days a year.”

Aida, of course, is not a person but a virtual customer-service representative that SEB AB, one of Sweden’s biggest banks, is rolling out. The goal is to give the actual humans more time to engage in more complex tasks.

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Putin shows off Russia's naval might with major parade

Saint Petersburg (AFP) - President Vladimir Putin on Sunday oversaw a pomp-filled display of Russia's naval might as the Kremlin paraded its sea power from the Baltic Sea to the shores of Syria.

Some 50 warships and submarines were on show along the Neva River and in the Gulf of Finland off the country's second city of Saint Petersburg after Putin ordered the navy to hold its first ever parade on such a grand scale.

"Today much is being done to develop and modernise the navy," Putin told servicemen after surveying the military hardware from his presidential cutter.

China reveals its terrifying military weapons with vast parade including stealth jets, nuclear missiles, attack helicopters and thousands of elite troops

CHINA launched an awesome show of its military might – just hours after warning Donald Trump about his involvement in North Korea.

Tens of thousands of Chinese troops marched alongside tanks and nuclear weapons as stealth fighters and attack helicopters roared overhead.

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Facebook: Your Face Belongs to Us

Angered this was done without his knowledge, Licata sued Facebook in 2015 as part of a class action lawsuit filed in Illinois state court accusing the company of violating a one-of-a-kind Illinois law that prohibits collection of biometric data without permission. The suit is ongoing.

Facebook denied the charges, arguing the law doesn’t apply to it. But behind the scenes, the social network giant is working feverishly to prevent other states from enacting a law like the one in Illinois.

Since the suit was filed, Facebook has stepped up its state lobbying, according to records and interviews with lawmakers. But rather than wading into policy fights itself, Facebook has turned to lower-profile trade groups such as the Internet Association, based in Washington, D.C., and the Illinois-based trade association CompTIA to head off bills that would give users more control over how their likenesses are used or whom they can be sold to.

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Bible Studies at the White House: Who's Inside This Spiritual Awakening? | CBN News

WASHINGTON – A spiritual awakening is underway at the White House.

Some of the most powerful people in America have been gathering weekly to learn more about God's Word, and this Trump Cabinet Bible study is making history.

They've been called the most evangelical Cabinet in history – men and women who don't mince words when it comes to where they stand on God and the Bible.

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Judge Orders Review Of Airline Seat Sizes, Legroom « WCCO | CBS Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A federal judge has ordered the Federal Aviation Administration to review seat sizes and legroom on commercial airlines.

It’s a victory for Flyers’ Rights, an advocacy group that has pushed for new rules regulating seat sizes.

Flyers’ Rights says small airlines seats can put people’s health at risk with conditions like blood clots in legs.

They also say the average size of the seat itself has shrunk, along with space between the one behind.

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https://needtoknow.news/2017/07/preside ... rth-korea/

North Korea now has a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile system that can reach the United States.  In the late 1990s, President Bill Clinton approved the transfer of technology for long-range ICBMs, including launch technology, guidance, re-entry devices, and warhead miniaturization, to China, which then gave it to North Korea.  Clinton also authorized the building of nuclear reactors in North Korea that can create fissionable material for atomic bombs. –GEG

It was called ChinaGate back then, but at that same time it was MonicaGate that got everybody's attention - at least most people's attention.

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https://needtoknow.news/2017/07/preside ... rth-korea/

North Korea now has a long-range intercontinental ballistic missile system that can reach the United States.  In the late 1990s, President Bill Clinton approved the transfer of technology for long-range ICBMs, including launch technology, guidance, re-entry devices, and warhead miniaturization, to China, which then gave it to North Korea.  Clinton also authorized the building of nuclear reactors in North Korea that can create fissionable material for atomic bombs. –GEG

It was called ChinaGate back then, but at that same time it was MonicaGate that got everybody's attention - at least most people's attention.

Yes, but Hillary and Bill are still walking around free when everybody, everybody, knows that both of them should be wearing orange jumpsuits in a maximum security prison somewhere.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv ... story.html

'They’re good people,' Trump says of the Clintons in '60 Minutes' interview
November 14, 2016

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Lesley Stahl interviews President-elect Donald Trump at his New York home on Friday. (Chris Albert for CBS News / 60 Minutes via Associated Press)

by Libby Hill
The world got its first post-election look at President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday night when “60 Minutes” aired an extensive interview that was filmed Friday in Trump’s New York home.

And the results were somewhat surprising — or were they?

Before the interview even began, Lesley Stahl introduced the video by talking about some of Trump’s more outrageous claims on the campaign trail and suggested that some weren’t meant to be taken literally. They were merely opening stabs at negotiation.

The question. then, is which of his campaign promises does Trump plan to stand by?

Will Trump appoint a special prosecutor to investigate Hillary Clinton’s emails?

An enormous amount of the 2016 election cycle focused on Clinton’s email server, leading Trump to promise during the second debate that he’d appoint a special prosecutor to investigate the issue if elected president.

He took a softer approach when Stahl asked him about it.

“I’m going to think about it,” Trump responded. “I want to focus on jobs. I want to focus on healthcare.”

Stahl inquired about the “lock her up” chants at his rallies, which prompted perhaps the most surprising response of all.

“I don’t want to hurt them,” he said, referring to the Clintons. “They’re good people.”

Trump then promised Stahl he’d give her a definitive answer during their next “60 Minutes” interview.

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So much for more choices.

1,332 Counties Will Have Only One Health Insurer Option Under Obamacare in 2018

According to recent data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), in 2018, 1,332 counties in the United States will have only one health insurer operating on the Obamacare exchanges and 49 will have none.

The data comes from the Health Insurance Exchanges Issuer County Map, which shows projected issuer participation on the Health Insurance Exchanges in 2018 based on the issuer public announcements made prior to late July of 2017.

"The map currently shows that nationwide 49 counties are projected to have no issuers, meaning that Americans in these counties could be without coverage on the Exchanges in 2018," a press release for the agency states. "It's also projected that 1,332 counties—over 40 percent of counties nationwide—could only have one issuer in 2018."

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Facebook shuts off AI experiment after two robots begin speaking in their OWN language only they can understand

A robot expert said the revelation that Facebook machines had spoken in their own language was exciting — but also incredibly scary.

UK Robotics Professor Kevin Warwick said: “This is an incredibly important milestone, but anyone who thinks this is not dangerous has got their head in the sand.

“We do not know what these bots are saying. Once you have a bot that has the ability to do something physically, particularly military bots, this could be lethal.

“If one says, ‘Why not do this,’ and the other says ‘Yes’ and it’s a military bot, you have a serious situation.

“This is the first recorded communication but there will have been many more unrecorded.

“Smart devices right now have the ability to communicate and although we think we can monitor them, we have no way of knowing.

“Stephen Hawking and I have been warning against the dangers of deferring to Artificial Intelligence.”